Livestock industry leaders call biosecurity measure changes ‘premature’ as airports remove sanitation mats

Livestock industry leaders have concerns for Australia’s defence against foot-and-mouth disease and are “disappointed” by the recent easing of biosecurity measures for travellers from Indonesia. It comes after the Government declared a drop in FMD cases in the archipelago nation, with only 25 cases now being reported daily, according to the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. This is a major drop from the more than 12,000 per day that were reported during the initial outbreak in mid-2022. Deputy secretary of biosecurity, operations and compliance Justine Saunders said the decision came after scientific risk assessments, which concluded FMD case numbers in Indonesia were now similar to 70 other countries where the disease is present. “Travellers arriving from Indonesia will now be subject to the same biosecurity controls as people arriving from any other country where FMD is present,” she said. The biosecurity measure changes include the removal of sanitation foot mats, which were originally put in international airports and cruise terminals in 2022. However, there are calls from the agricultural community for the Government to remain on alert for any signs of the disease. Pastoralists and Graziers Association of WA livestock committee chair Chris Patmore said biosecurity measures such as sanitation mats were a “small price” to pay to keep FMD out of Australia. “My big concern is that while there’s not so many new cases of FMD being found in Indonesia, the volume of traffic back and forth is huge,” he said. “The number of Australian and overseas tourists coming from Indonesia to Australia is very high and I’m concerned about the biosecurity risk there.” Mr Patmore, a sheep farmer at Eneabba, said it was also important to note there were many tourists coming in from other countries where FMD is present — including China, Vietnam, Malaysia and Thailand. “With Indonesia being a valuable trading partner, we probably owe them the respect of imposing similar entry requirements to the other countries,” he said. Kimberley Pilbara Cattlemen’s Association president Bron Christensen called the changes “premature” and agreed the biosecurity measures were only a “small cost” to protect Australia’s agriculture industry. “We feel it’s the wrong decision,” she said. “(And) we feel that the effort and cost of what they’ve actually removed really doesn’t justify the overall cost of what would happen if an incursion occurred.” Ms Christenson said she was also disappointed northern livestock producers were not consulted on the matter. Ms Saunders said despite the changes, there would still be other “heightened” biosecurity protections kept in place for flights from all countries. “Those measures include extra dogs trained to detect biosecurity risks, screening with 2D X-ray capability and trials with enhanced 3D X-rays, real-time risk assessment by Australian biosecurity officers at the border, targeted communication and increased signage,” she said. Ms Saunders said Australia would continue to support Indonesia and other close trading partners in their responses against animal diseases, such as Australia’s provision of four million vaccine doses and quarantine officer training to help Indonesia combat its FMD outbreak. “That support has directly contributed to Indonesia’s strong response to FMD and has strengthened the integrity of our national biosecurity system,” she said. “Australia remains free from FMD thanks to our robust biosecurity system, effective management in Indonesia and the continued vigilance of incoming travellers.” FMD affects all cloven-hoofed animals, including cattle, sheep, goats, deer and pigs. The disease was confirmed in Indonesia in May 2022 for the first time since 1986.